Victory of the Fallen
by AnastaciaAnemone
Summary: Zhou Yu has died in battle, and Xiao is more than depressed. Lu Xun is here to comfort her, but is she willing to love again? LXXQZY
1. Help Me

-1Pairing: Lu Xun/ Xiao Qiao/ Zhou Yu

Genre: Romance

**Victory of the Fallen**

Flashback

_His last thoughts were of Xiao._

_He struggled to attack the tall, bearded man before him. His long polearm cut him everywhere, and thin linings of blood seeped through his clothing. The Elder sword that he used for a weapon was no match for this. Beads of sweat (and blood) dripped from his forehead in the blazing heat. Dazed by the sun, he suddenly felt lazy._

_The polearm slashed across his chest._

"_Argh!"_

_Slowly he fell backward, his body becoming one with the battlefield. One last breath._

"_Xiao…"_

_He shut his eyes, and fell into an eternal rest. _

_The Senior strategist of Wu had fallen._

"Xiao… I hate to bring you this tragic news, dear sister, but Zhou Yu… He has died in battle."

Xiao was speechless for the first time in her life. Her husband, the great Zhou Yu, dead? This must be some horrible, sick joke…

"This can't be happening…" She whispered, tears brimming her amber eyes. "Da, can I be left alone for a moment?" Her sister nodded, and she left the room, closing the door behind her.

As soon as her sister left, Xiao let the tears fall silently on her porcelain face. Her eyes suddenly made contact to her beautiful, diamond wedding ring Yu had given her when he proposed. She shook her head. All the happy memories of them were gone. Her fear of becoming a widow was now true. Dowagers were of no importance. They were just to weep and dream of their spouse for the rest of their life. Xiao swore she would never become "one of them", as she put it. But when her elder sister, Da Qiao, lost Sun Ce, the ruler of the Wu kingdom and Da's husband, Xiao started to fear that she would suddenly lose Yu. Sun Ce had died so young…Xiao had hoped this would never happen to Yu.

Xiao grabbed a handkerchief, wiped her eyes, and exited the room. She needed to relax. Xiao climbed down the steps, since her room was on the second floor. She headed out toward the garden.

After checking to make sure no one was there, Xiao went straight toward the flowers. She lay down and closed her eyes, to reminiscence in the floral scent that belonged to the flowers. Unfortunately, her thoughts would always go straight to Zhou Yu's death. Suddenly , her feelings went from gloom to anger. _Why did he die! Why, of all the people in the world, did it have to be him! I hate this world! I hate my life! I hate war! I hate Wu!_

_I hate HIM!_

She was still muttering about Yu when a voice broke through the fragrant air.

"Lady Xiao?" The voice belong to Lu Xun, Zhou Yu's apprentice. Or rather, _ex_-apprentice. He strode over to her, seating himself beside her.

_Great, now I have to put up with him?_ She thought. "Yes, Lord Lu Xun?" Xiao replied. "I'd also prefer if you'd called be Xiao." She added coldly.

"Well, I just thought if you would like some company, after Lord Zhou Yu's-"

"Don't even talk to me about him!" Xiao blurted out, a little loud.

"My apologies, La- Xiao," He answered hastily. Xun sat up. "Well, I must be going now. Goodbye, Xiao." Xun started to leave.

"Wait! Don't leave. Please, come back." Xiao called after him. "I can't stand to be alone." But Xun didn't hear her. He continued walking, until entering the castle.

_Stupid, hat-wearing, little fool!_ Xiao followed after him. Although it was dinner time, Xiao wasn't hungry. She entered her chambers. Xiao tried everything to pass time by. She meditated, but Xiao was known for having very little patience. Xiao practiced the "Dance of Sakura". Annoying _and _ hard to do. Lots of fun. When the music was played, she just rolled her eyes. Light steps, her sister had told her. Light steps and weightless movement are essential to this dance.

_Okay, I'll try to do this.._ She stepped into her flats. Xiao closed her eyes, and pretended that the world's gravitation had ceased to exist. Step, step, twirl.. Hey, this wasn't so hard!

Until you fall flat on your face, that is.

"Whaa!" She shouted, as she fell. Xiao got up, and dusted her dress off. "Ugh.."

Xiao couldn't sleep that night. The bed didn't feel the same without Zhou Yu resting peacefully beside her. He didn't snore, he just lay there, breathing softly while he had slept. This was horrible. She thought of the first time she had met Yu. Oh, how she had hated him, and how he hated her.

_Flashback_

_Xiao was riding a beautiful brown mare around the Wu kingdom. The only reason she was there was so Qiao Xuan, her father, could make some sort of arrangement with Sun Jian, Sun Ce's father. Sun Ce and Da Qiao were in love, and were planning to get married. Yet Xiao had always wondered when her true love would come._

_Suddenly a snow white horse came up right beside her. A man with the most beautiful, silky, chocolate hair she had ever seen, with a face like an angel, happened to be on top of that horse._

"_Ah, women shouldn't be riding horseback. They might get hurt." He warned her._

"_Well, isn't that a fine hello? Let's not be prejudice here!" She waggled her finger at him. Xiao sped up, but the man kept at her pace._

"_Are you challenging me?" He asked, slightly shocked._

"_Maybe I am." She smirked, and let the horse go faster. The man sped right past her, leaving Xiao thinking, _I shall be the victor of this race, not some man! _Xiao let the horse go even faster. The race continued on, until she eventually beat him out._

_Later that night the man was heckled by the generals because he had been beat out by a woman._

_Xiao later learned his name was Zhou Yu. The name slipped right off her tongue. Zhou Yu, Zhou Yu.._

_End Flashback_

**A/N: New story! Whoo hoo! Don't know if MSE will ever be updated, but I am not so sure. Next chappie up soon!**


	2. Fakers

**Victory of the Fallen:**

**Chapter Two**

Xiao soon fell asleep, a little uncomfortable as Zhou Yu was not there to keep her safe. Although Xiao did not know it, as she was sleeping, Da would tiptoe into Xiao's room occasionally to check on her gloom-ridden sister, and it saddened her to see her sister's eyes closed, her face pale, and Xiao actually lay stiff in the bed for the first time in what seemed like ever. Usually Xiao would be sidled up next to Yu, but now that he was gone, Xiao looked almost dead. The Elder Qiao quietly snuck out of the chamber and back into her bed.

The sun shined brightly through the window, directly on Xiao, waking her up. She yawned, and looked over to the side where Yu would normally be.

_He must have had an early meeting or something,_ Xiao thought, as she climbed out of bed and strode over to her mirror, where she proceeded to brush her hair. Then she remembered.

Oh, wait. He's dead.

She sighed, and when she combed through all of the bedhead knots in her hair, she pinned it up with the usual clip. Xiao saw herself in the mirror and was depressed by the image she saw.

_Too bright. _Xiao took the clip out of her hair and set a classy pale gray one in her hair instead. She didn't want to go out in public, although, she thought, no one would pay attention to me anyway. Xiao, you're a widow now, remember?

Those six words made her shudder in disgust.

"No!" She muttered, going over to her closet and picking out a night dress the same color as the accessory that held her hair up.

Xiao tucked herself back into bed, her hand reaching for the bell set on her night table. She shook it a few times, the happy ringing mocking her feelings. Fortunately her maid was nearby, and she rushed into Xiao's room.

"Yes, milady?" She asked, walking over to Xiao's bedside.

"I am calling in sick," Xiao replied, "And I will not be around the castle for a few days. Please make sure everyone in the castle knows, okay? Don't want anyone to worry." The maid nodded, and she set off to spread the news.

Xiao took the clip out of her hair, and ruffled her hair so she had the sickly bed head, hasn't -been -combed look.

"Hmm… I am a little hungry…" She told herself. Xiao's stomach growled.

"Perhaps I'll practice calligraphing.." She sat up, and made herself walk over to grab the materials needed.

Zhou Yu loved to calligraph..

_Stop thinking about him… He's not going to come back anytime soon…_

A tear slid down her cheek. She wiped it away with a quick brush of her hand, and she set the materials back down on the table. Xiao set herself back into bed.

"Xiao Qiao, my sister, are you okay!" Da ran in, franticly worried about her younger sister. She rushed toward Xiao.

"Da, I'm fine, No need to worry.." Xiao forced a weak smile on her face, giving off the emphasis that she was ill.

"Do you need anything?" Da asked, a little more calmly. Xiao thought for a second.

"Well ..I am a little hungry…" She said.

"I will be right back!" Da replied, running to get some food for Xiao, before it all disappeared into the stomachs of the Wu generals.

"Uh huh…" Xiao muttered. Well, hopefully no one would come in except for Da…

She heard heavy footsteps walking toward her door. _Who do I have to put up with now?_

The door opened…

Oh, great. It's-

"Hello, Lu Xun, " She said. "What are you doing in here? I'm not hurt or anything…"

"Your sister Da Qiao wanted me to bring this to you." Lu Xun replied in a blank tone. He held up the bowl filled with meat buns.

"Oh, okay. Thanks." Xiao spoke with a slightly happier tone. _What the heck is happening to me?_

" So, are you really sick? You don't look it." He looked suspicious, but it was more in a teasing manner.

"Yes!" Xiao said loudly. "I mean, yes, I am." She fake coughed.

He didn't look fooled.

"Okay, so I'm not. But, what do you care?" She asked.

"No reason. Now, rest up, Xiao. Remember-" Xun answered, "You're sick." He winked and walked out of the room.

Thoughts raced through her head.

Why did I tell him that!

He'll tell the whole kingdom!

Maybe he won't.

Yes.

No.

Yes.

But the most important question is… Why does he make me feel this way?

A/N: W00t! Chapter Two up and running! Next chapter might be up soon, must check my schedule.


End file.
